Omaha daily bee., 1887-12-31
CAST AWAY ON A DESERT ISLAND.
A Mate Murders His Captain and Is
Left Alone IN nin

Left Alone to Die.
A San Francisco special to the New
York World relates this story: The
Honolulu Commercial Advertiser of De-
cember Z gives the following account OF
the adventures of two survivors of the
schooner General Segel, who spent nine
months on the South Sea islands:
The two survivors of the General
Sigel's crew are young man named
Edward Olsen. a native of Norway, and
a German lad of nineteen, named Will
liam Timpe. In the course of a cOnver-
sation with them the following account
of their experiences was gathered: The
General Sigel left Honolulu on Septem-
Ger /, 1886, for the French Frigate
Shoals on shark-fshing expedition.
Her crew was composed of Captain Abb
erdine ,Adolph Jorgen the mate; the two
men already named, Peter Larkin,
Brown, Martin, Nelson and Charles
Clemens. In the outset Of the voyage
the crew were very successful in obtain
ing quite large cargo. On September
% they arrived off Midway island. On
the night Of November Is the vessel
was riding at anchor off this island, the
crew being camped on shore. The in
tention was to leave for Honolulu on the
following day.
vessel broke from her moorings and
drifted ashore, and the crew found
themselves cast upon desert island in
mid-ocean. Their only means of sub
sistence was sea birds and their eggs
and fish. Fortunately there was no lack
of this kind of food, and an ample sup
ply of fresh water was at hand. Under
these conditions they dragged out a
weary existence for nine months, and
their experiences during that time
marked by some thrilling episodes,
some of which will probably form the
subject of future investigation.
About ten days after they reached the
island painful accident happened to
Peter Larkin. While killing fish with
giant powder one of his hands was
blown Off. and although everything pos
sible under the circumstances was done
| to alleviate his sutferings he succumbed
to the injury and died in few days.
| After this feud appears to have arisen
between Mate Jorgen and the captain,
which the survivors attribute solely to
| the murderous instincts of the mate, 1t
| is stated that on one occasion this man
| deserted from the German vessel Apollo
| while at Honolulu, where he was arrested
| in consequence. The circumstances
| connected with this caused him to en-
| tertain feelings of enmity towards the
| German consul, in this city, and brood
| ing over his anger he repeatedly ex-
| pressed his intention while on the is
| land Of taking that gentleman's life at
| the first opportunity. Captain Aber'
| dine demonstrated with him and
he, fearing what might be the upshot OF
these threats, seems to have turned
his hand not only against the captain
but against other members Of the crew.
William Timpe says that on one occa-
sion, while he was alone IN the hut
which they occupied, taking up some
eggs to serve at the meal, Sorgen came
stealthily behind him, put a rope
around his neck and attempted u
sttangle him. The lad called loudly
for help, when the rope was slackeneC
and Jorgen desisted from his purpose
saying: Don't say anything about it
l don't want to do you any HARM"
1t should be stated here that what IL
known as Midway island is in realit,
two islands, one in circular form, the
one on which the men lived. and tn,
other long, narrow strip OF land som'
two or three miles to the north. Arriv
ing at the island the meff found an olt
hut which the men utilized as a domi
cile; Japanese scOw, supposed to have
been left there by Captain Bohnm, ant
boat belonging to the wrecked vesse
Dunnottar Crstle, which had evidentl,
drifted there from Ocean island. The,
also saved boat from the Genera